Masquerade
by everycloudx
Summary: Set after ‘Sectionals’. Puck’s torn between past and present and Rachel, desperate for success, tries to reunite him with the team but finds herself stuck in the middle. Puckleberry. Part two: "You have so much more to give than slushie facials."
1. Puck: The Disappearing Act

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own Glee.

Masquerade

Puck: The Disappearing Act

At first glance he knew something wasn't right. The eleven, _eleven_ faces reflecting disappointment and anger created an undeniably negative atmosphere throughout the large room. A second glance allowed him to acknowledge the sizable gap between Tina and Quinn on the front row, highlighting the absence of a familiar football player. As reluctant as he had been to join the overly energetic club, he hadn't once missed practice since his recruitment into the team. His unusual disappearance provided his fellow members with a plague of confusion and leaving the silent twelve, including their mentor, to consider the reasons for his unpunctual behaviour.

Kurt sheepishly raised his hand in an attempt to ask permission to break the uncomfortable silence. "We should start without him." As he glanced around his suggestion had not been taken too well and discovered his only nod in agreement had originated from the individual sat beside him.

"We can't," Rachel simply stated, observing the surrounding group who awaited the explanation before continuing. "The new routine doesn't work with odd numbers. Unless Santana willingly sits out of this rehearsal, it just wouldn't work without the lift."

Santana raised her eyebrows as she mentally prepared a retort, but only seconds later her frown converted into an unmistakable smile. "I'll sit out. After all it doesn't take long to pick up dance routines unlike some in here I won't mention to save their embarrassment."

"How very thoughtful of you," Kurt added with a not-so-subtle hint of sarcasm within his tone of voice. As everyone began raising themselves from their sitting position, he halted the process with a second announcement. "But what about his solo? Let's face it, we need him."

Will found his head being placed into his hands before he opened his mouth to speak; a futile attempt at returning peace to the group before changing his mind and rearranging his question. "Did he say anything to you during today's football practice?"

Matt and Mike shook their heads almost simultaneously, causing Finn to glance upwards to prepare for a verbal response. "I haven't said anything to him in weeks." A mild glare was shot towards the pregnant blonde sat below him. "And I don't see why we can't make this work without him. After all not everything has to revolve around him."

"Are we going to do anything today or just sit her debating over a missing footballer?" Mercedes impatiently asked. "He's probably just forgotten. You know what those footballers are like." After receiving glares from the three present footballers, she pleaded her innocence with a simple smile followed by a high-five with Kurt.

Rachel was the first to respond, "No, not Noah."

Brittney tilted her head sideways. "Who's Noah?"

------

It was the second time that week that he found himself walking home, lying to anyone who happened to notice him walk by with the excuse that his car had previously broken down. In reality he didn't want to be forced to admit that the fresh air allowed him the rare opportunity to think without interruption. The fact that anyone who would have offered him that particular explanation only a limited number of months earlier would have earned a slushie being tossed in their direction had prevented the footballer from revealing his true intentions. After all he still had a reputation to maintain.

However the main subject swirling frantically around his mind was his earlier conversation with the mother of his unborn child.

_"Finn's still not talking to me."_

_"Are you surprised? You took advantage of his girlfriend when she was drunk and now she's pregnant with your child."_

_"Oh, don't give me that, Fabray. You wanted it just as much as I did."_

_"I wish I'd never had sex with you!"_

_"You don't mean that."_

_"You're right. I didn't." She took a few steps back in a somewhat futile attempt to abandon the awkward shouting match in the school corridor, however also softening the tone of her voice as the energy drained from within her. "But only because of my baby girl. If I had the power to make Finn the father I would." After expressing her annoyance within a reluctantly escaped sigh, she elaborately rotated herself around to walk further in the opposite direction of the unfortunate father of her unborn child._

_"Quinn, wait!"_

_She was gone._

She hated him. Finn hated him. He was an experienced screw-up who, for once, was adamant he was doing the right thing for avoiding them where possible. He wouldn't abandon football for anyone, however glee club, the painful hours of being ignored by the two people he had admittedly cared the most for in his life, he was sure he could live his life without. Now that he knew that all he could do was push away those close to him, he was determined to refuse to let anyone become close to ever again.

They let him down. He let them down.

He knew this wouldn't happen if he regressed back to the old Puck; no one would dare hurt him.


	2. Rachel: The Long Way Home

Thankyou for the reviews – reviews are love. :)

Disclaimer: I still do not own Glee. If I did the hot tub theory would be true and the baby-daddy would be Finn.

Masquerade

Rachel: The Long Way Home

It had been the second rehearsal without him, and although she would never admit it, she had missed his presence within the group. She had purposely walked by the boys' changing rooms in the hope that he would be walking out at that exact moment. It wasn't a confrontation she craved, simply an explanation as to why he had abandoned his team without so much as a word of warning. The more she thought about it, and it was the priority in her mind, she only wanted to understand the process of his mind. The average footballer's mind had been far too complex for the performer, however she was adamant there was much more to Puck, to _Noah_ than the average footballer.

The end of the school day was fast approaching and, for possibly the first time, she grabbed her bag from beside the door and rushed out of the auditorium before anyone had the chance to move. She frantically ran until she reached her intended destination, and came to a sudden halt as the individual she had been searching for became in sight. Her walk towards him was both to catch her breath back and to prepare herself for what was about to be said, by either of the two of them.

Rachel observed as the ball was kicked numerous metres into the distance with intense force. Her method of allowing him to acknowledge her sudden appearance included gradually clapping her hands together before adding a sarcastically-toned, "Congratulations." She would be the first to admit that she didn't know the first thing about the sport of football, however she knew it was one that benefitted from the feeling of anger or a similar negative emotion.

Puck became undeniably startled as he spun himself around to discover the origin of the familiar voice that could be heard from behind him. "If you're trying to get me to go back, Berry, then you're wasting your time."

"I thought as much," she muttered under her breath. She soon forced her mouth to curve into a genuine smile, highlighting her feigned patience as she continued to speak. "Whether or not you return to glee is your choice but---"

"I'm not going back."

"You didn't let me finish, Noah." She threw her head into her hands in frustration, knowing full well that it wouldn't contribute towards her secret mission of getting through to the closed footballer. His barriers remained too strong for her to attempt to break through with her gentle touch. "How about a ride home? No more talk of glee. You have my word."

He considered going after the escaping ball, however his head was insisting he forgot the insignificant object and follow his heart. A slight amount of confusion arose as to why his heart was forcing him to spend more time with the undoubtedly most annoying girl he had ever met. She simply intrigued him. "Well, that would be a challenge considering the car is at home."

"Walk home?"

"No more talk of glee?"

"I promise."

The unlikely pair soon abandoned the football field in favour of the awkward walk home. The silence allowed him to consider the possibilities of what would happen if anyone on the football team witnessed him walking willingly with a _loser_, and her to consider how to be subtle in her attempt to edge him towards returning to practice. It was going to be a challenge, however one she would definitely accept. Everyone admired a challenge, especially one that would prove to be increasingly tough.

"Why are you here?"

Rachel flinched at the sound of that very question. In all honesty she didn't have a clue what had driven her towards the football pitch, the futile attempts of trying to reunite the team while anyone else would simply sit back and observe as they dramatically fell apart. With her sixth sense she was adamant she would eventually get through to the footballer, however she remained sure that it would take time and an escalating amount of patience. "I don't like seeing people waste their talent."

"My talent lies on the football pitch," he stubbornly responded.

Rachel sighed. It wouldn't be long before she began breaking her promise and she mentally cursed herself for that unfortunate fact, however she wouldn't admit defeat. She wouldn't back down until he was back on the stage allowing the world to watch him participating in something they both knew he secretly adored. "You have so much more to give than slushie facials."

"Says who?"

"Says me." She glanced up at him and caught his eyes into a moment of direct contact, an action to convince him that she was speaking the honest truth. "You know I wouldn't say this lightly, but Puck, you have talent. You can sing, dance, play guitar. You have it all and you're wasting it."

"You called me Puck."

"That's what all your footballer friends call you, isn't it?"

"Not _you_." It would be a fact denied if ever used in a court of law but he secretly liked her being different than everyone else in her attitude towards him. Puck was the football player that everyone admired simply because of their fear of thinking otherwise, but Noah was the person she brought out in him; the person he didn't know he could be; the person he didn't know he wanted to be until she brought it out in him.

"Noah, tell me you will consider it."

A subtle, reluctant nod was all she required as confirmation. Her mission was half way to being complete.


End file.
